I’m Calling It: The Metaverse Is Over - Techmeme Ride Home Recap

Podcast: Techmeme Ride Home

Published: 2026-01-16

Duration: 20 minutes

Summary

The episode claims the metaverse is effectively over at Meta as the company discontinues its VR Workrooms and stops selling Quest headsets to businesses. Meanwhile, Cloudflare is taking steps to protect content creators from AI data strip mining.

What Happened

Brian McCullough opens the episode with a bold declaration that the metaverse is over at Meta, as evidenced by Meta's decision to discontinue its Horizon Workrooms and cease sales of Quest headsets to businesses. This marks a significant shift in Meta's strategy, moving away from VR-focused initiatives.

The episode explores the ongoing drama at Thinking Machines, a company embroiled in internal issues and leadership changes. Marathi, the CEO, is trying to increase the company's valuation from $10 billion to $50 billion, but the company has yet to develop a new foundation model.

Cloudflare is stepping up efforts to protect web creators from AI strip mining. The company announced the acquisition of an AI data marketplace, aiming to ensure content creators get paid for their work used in AI model training. This move aligns with Cloudflare's mission to reshape content monetization on the internet.

YouTube has revised its policies to allow full monetization of non-graphic videos on sensitive issues, reflecting a shift from its stringent past policies. This change is part of a broader evolution where YouTube is easing restrictions on sensitive content, aiming to support more diverse content monetization.

Replit has launched mobile apps enabling users to create and publish iOS apps using natural language prompts. This development is part of a growing trend in AI-powered coding, offering creators a simplified path from idea to app store.

The episode concludes with weekend long read suggestions, including an analysis of the Apple-TSMC relationship and the impact of AI as a research tool. These readings provide deeper insights into the tech industry's current dynamics and future directions.

Key Insights